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Wayne Elliott, head of health forecasting at the Met Office, said: "While there is the possibility of daytime temperatures reaching trigger thresholds, it is the night time values which are of real concern.

"High humidity and the lack of any breeze could make matters worse for people with underlying health problems."

However, much of the rest of the country will miss out on the scorching weather with cooler temperatures and scattered showers expected today in the south west, the midlands, northern England, Scotland and Wales. Heavier rain is forecast in the north or England and Scotland tomorrow, becoming drier on Sunday.

The heatwave is forecast to ease on Sunday with temperatures not expected to exceed 82F (28C) in the south and east of England.

John Hammond, a Met Office spokesman, said: “It’s going to feel very hot and sticky over the next few days, when we could see temperatures reach their highest so far this year.

“It could get up to 32C in some places in East Anglia and south east England, which is why we have issued the heat-health alert.

“People need to be careful out in the sun, and the elderly, those with health problems and young children and babies are most at risk.”

The NHS advises to keep cool by wearing loose cotton clothes, splashing faces and the backs of necks with cold water several times a day and staying in the coolest rooms of the home as much as possible.

Windows should be kept closed when the room is cooler than it is outside.

The highest temperature recorded so far this year was 87.6F (30.9C) in Gravesend, Kent, on June 27.